5 tips for making trips with teens more fun

Family travel falls into three distinct phases. First, there’s the exhausting period of travel with crying babies who need diapers, bottles, strollers, car seats and naps. Then come the golden years, when kids can handle long rides and long walks, when they actually think scavenger hunts are fun, and when they bask in their family’s love and attention.

But that’s followed by the teenage years, which can be nearly as challenging as the toddler years — because to a teenager, any place a parent wants to go is by definition uncool.

Here are five strategies to help you survive.

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Teens also like trying new things. Let them try surfing, stand-up paddleboards or snorkeling. No reason mom and dad can’t sit that stuff out, by the way — the kids will surely learn faster than you, and you wouldn’t want to be humiliated.

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Let them explore.

Let teens explore on their own as much as possible, whether the setting is a theme park, mall, beach or festival. If everyone has cellphones, it’s easy to keep track of their whereabouts, but you can also plan the old-fashioned way: “See you at 4 p.m. at the fountain (or the car or the hotel room).” Casually add that you’re prone to panic and will call the cops or write “WHERE ARE YOU?” in shouty-caps on their Facebook pages if they’re late.

We’ve let a kid stay at the hotel while we’ve gone hiking. I’ve done botanical gardens alone while the others went to a zoo. We’ve even skipped alleged must-sees because the kids didn’t want to do them, and really, what’s the point? It’s vacation, not medicine.

There’s also no harm in letting them sleep in or hang out at the pool while you visit an art show or antiques store.

Some families plan trips by letting each person pick one place for the group to visit, alternating adult choices with kid picks, and limiting museums to an hour if kids don’t want to be there.

Here’s the good news: Now that my kids are older – 16 and 21 – they think art is cool. If you can’t get teens psyched about museums, they might love street art. Many cities have neighborhoods where graffiti — illegal or sanctioned — is a tourist attraction, like Wynwood, Miami, or Bushwick, Brooklyn.

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Bring a friend.

Friends can make trips more fun and give parents time to relax while kids hang with their buddies. But consider a trial-run sleepover at home first to get a realistic preview of your prospective guest’s habits. Can you handle overly picky eaters, screen addicts and kids who either won’t go to sleep or won’t wake up?

If you can afford accommodations with a separate room for teens – even if it’s just a pullout sofa in a living room with a TV – that might also make everyone happier.

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Give a teen a job.

Let them drive on a road trip. Put them in charge of taking pictures. And with all their digital know-how, let them navigate when you’re lost.